Veterans, community members and Civil Air Patrol cadets joined in a Presque Isle ceremony on Tuesday to honor all who serve and have served the country.
More than 60 turned out at Veterans Memorial Park on Main Street for the historical remembrance, which featured remarks, a wreath laying and the Bells of Peace ringing at 11 a.m.
The Bells of Peace initiative is led by the Doughboy Foundation and commemorates the end of World War I in 1918.
Armistice was declared on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month that year, bringing to a close the war that had killed 17 to 19 million people. Bells rang out in jubilation across many countries, according to the U.S. Department of War.
Bells of Peace launched in 2018 to mark 100 years since the end of WWI. The remembrance involves tolling a bell 21 times in honor of those who lost their lives during the war. The ringing symbolizes a 21-gun salute, said emcee Kim Smith, Presque Isle resource development and public information officer.
Brigadier General Nate Grass, U.S. Army National Guard, retired, rang the bell.
Chaplain Andy Kinney of the Smart Ricker Disabled American Veterans in Presque Isle offered prayer, and DAV Adjutant Jasper Lee spoke.
Honoring veterans must be more about medals and pats on the back, Lee said, adding the government needs to honor its promises to provide a lifetime of care for veterans.
“Our nation’s sons and daughters who have fought so courageously [don’t] want government handouts,” he said. “All they’ve ever asked is for our government to honor its commitment to take care of those whose minds and bodies have been shattered by bombs and bullets.”
What started as a day to mark the end of WWI has turned into a day to honor all who have served in every military branch and in every war, Presque Isle City Manager Sonja Eyler said.
“Remembrance is more powerful when it is shared,” Eyler said. “Veterans Day is not only a time to look back, but also to recognize the living legacy of service that continues to shape our nation and our community.”
Members of the County Composite Squadron, Civil Air Patrol, conducted their own salute to veterans. In pairs, cadets took shifts to march solemnly in front of the park’s veterans monument, calling to mind the constant, silent patrol at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery.
They will continue marching until sundown, their leaders said.
Also at the ceremony, Smith and City Councilor Craig Green unveiled a new plaque that describes the history and details of the decommissioned Hound Dog missile installed at the park, a gift from the U.S. Air Force to the city.
The AGM 28 supersonic missile was an airlock cruise missile with a range of up to 785 miles and could hold a 1,700-pound thermonuclear warhead, Green said. It is 42 feet, 6 inches long and could be deployed from heights up to 55,000 feet.
The Presque Isle Community Band, featuring 11 members on wind instruments, played “Amazing Grace” and “Stars and Stripes Forever.”
As they began playing, an eagle soared above the nearby stream.
DAV members laid a wreath at the veterans monument to conclude the ceremony.
